Rosetta Stone Partnership Keeps Language Alive

Rosetta Ittauaya yvt Hvpi Chahta Anumpa Okchalinchi

Published April 27, 2026

By Chief Gary Batton

Audio in Choctaw Language

This past month I had the opportunity to film my portion of the Rosetta Stone Language partnership video for Choctaw Nation.

I spoke about the importance of keeping the Choctaw language alive, my personal journey as Choctaw and why there is such an emphasis on our heritage and our ancestral language. It’s very simple – without our language, we do not exist. Our history, heritage, tribal sovereignty all hinges upon the Chahta language.

I have spoken many times about the importance of our language and its meaning to our tribe. We are taking strides in making our Chahta language accessible to everyone and with our partnership with Rosetta Stone, it gives us another valuable learning tool to create more first-language speakers. As I have also said before, I want Halito to be as common as Aloha. We can do it, with your help!

The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest Indian Nation in the United States with more than 230,000 tribal members and 13,000-plus associates. If just a fraction of our members learned the Chahta language we would certainly be ahead of the curve in making our language commonplace among tribal and non-tribal members.

The Rosetta Stone collaboration includes development of an immersive digital course that captures the language’s sound, rhythm and spirit. Authentic voices, imagery and cultural context will be drawn directly from the Choctaw community so that tribal members learn Chahta anumpa—the Choctaw language—through lessons that reflect everyday life and ancestral traditions.

When we speak our native language, we are bringing our ancestors’ voice and heritage into the modern age. We are creating an environment that is uniquely Chahta to share with the world. We are announcing that our tribe is here, has been here and will be here forever! It is no secret that when the Covid pandemic hit, we lost several of our first-language speakers due to illness. It was then that we rededicated the tribe’s language learning through our apprenticeship program, our Associate learning programs and language lessons that can be accessed via our website, social media channels and through our Associate portal.

We have graduated more than 50 new language students since the program began with more on the way! As Chief, I am so proud of our outstanding language program, our first-language speakers and students, for their efforts to bring the Choctaw language into the modern world. The Rosetta Stone learning tool is expected to be released sometime in 2027, and we will keep you updated on where you can find this valuable learning tool once it is launched. My hope is that we have a huge number of new language students who will immerse themselves in the Choctaw language and in turn, assist in our efforts and focus on keeping our heritage, language and sovereignty alive for generations to come.

For those who would like to learn more about the Choctaw language, go to choctawnation.com, click on about and language. On the website you will find many language tools that will help you in your journey to learn the Choctaw language.

It is my sincere hope that we have overflowing classrooms with students wanting to learn the language of the Chahta people. We owe it to our ancestors, tribal members and our Nation to keep our heritage alive – it is up to all of us!

Yakoke, Chi Pisa La Chike and God Bless!

Hvshi ant ia kash, Rosetta Stone Language Partnership a holbvt toba kanvlli ya hobachit ikbi aivlhpiesa ishi li tuk.

Chahta anumpa okchalinchi yvt nana fehna ka isht anumpuli li tuk. Chahta sia kvt nowvt aya si ahvllaia ka isht anumpuli li tuk. Kaniohmi ho hvpi nan immi micha hvpim anumpa chashpo ya nana fehnvchi chomi ka isht anumpuli li tuk. Aiahli – hvpim anumpa iksho kvt hvpi okchaya kiyo. Hvpi hopaki isht anumpa, hvpi nan immi, micha okla i kucha pehlichi iksho moma kvt Chahta anumpa ai anukcheto.

Hvpim anumpa i nana fehna micha hvpim okla ya nana i miha ka lawachit isht anumpuli li. Okluha ya hvpi Chahta anumpa aiona ya achunanchit il im ikbi. Anumpa anumpuli lawa i shahli ikba chi ka Rosetta Stone Ittauaya yvt isht toksvli ikhana inla hvpima. ‘Halito!’ achi kvt ‘Aloha!’ achi ohma chi ka sv bvnna kvt achi li beka tuk. Hvsh apelak ma, e mihcha hinla.

United States anukaka ya Chahta Okla yvt Hattak Vpi Homma okla ya chito moma i shahli kvt atuchina. Okla ibafoka tahlepa sipokni tahlepa tuklo pokoli tuchina atampa ishi micha ittiba toksvli tahlepa sipokni awah tuchina atampa ishi. Hvpim ibafoka holhtina ya tushafa illa hosh Chahta anumpa ikhvnak ma, inlvchi il i tikba hinla. Okla ibafoka micha okla ibafoka kiyo takla ya hvpi Chahta anumpa yvt aivlhpesa chi.

Rosetta Stone ittauaya yvt anumpa im ola, i yanvlli, micha i shilombish yukachi ya apehlichi ittvtakali oklubushli achakvli aieninchi. Anumpa ahli, im anukfila, micha im aivlhpesa akaniohmi yvt Chahta okla ya apissanlit akucha achi. Im aivlhechi nittak moma okchaya micha tikba anumpa isht auehinchi falvmmichi hlopulli yo okla ibafoka yvt Chahta anumpa ikhvna chi.

Hvpim anumpa tikba il anumpulik mvt, hvpi hattak tikba im anumpa ya himak nittak il isht vla. Chahta illa apakfopa ya yakni moma il i kvshkola chi hosh il ikbi. Hvpim okla yvt antta ka e miha micha hvpim anumpa micha hvpi nan immi yvt achunanchi takla e maya chi. Hvpim anumpa vmmona anumpuli kanohmi kvt Covid isht abekvt illi hosh hvpi kvnia tukvt na luma kiyo. Yohmih ma, hvpim okla im anumpa ikhvna ya toksvli ikhvnanchi aiahni hlopulli hosh anonti e holitoblichi tuk. Hvpim ittiba toksvli ikhvnanchi aiahni micha anumpa abvchi ya hvpi holisso aiontalaia, okla im anumpa aya, micha hvpim ittiba toksvli im okhisa hlopulli hosh aiona hinla.

Aiahni yvt isht ia tuk ittitakla ka anumpa ikhvna pokoli tahlapi atampa ho aiikhvna e hlopullichi tuk. Miko sia kvt, hvpim anumpa aiahni na fehna, hvpim anumpa vmmona anumpuli, micha nan ikhvna yvt Chahta anumpa ya achunanchit himak yakni moma isht vla ka na fehnachi li. Rosetta Stone isht toksvli ikhana yvt afvmmi tahlepa sipokni tuklo, pokoli tuklo akucha hannali chekik ma kucha chi. Kanimma ho isht toksvli ikhana holittopa pa hvsh ai ahocha hinla ka himonachit e hvchim anola chi. Anumpa ikhvna lawa hosh Chahta anumpa ile oklubbi akosh vm ahni. Hvpi nan immi, anumpa, micha kucha pehlichi iksho il isha chi kvt e toksvli ka hvpi apela chi.

Chahta anumpa imma i shahlit ikhvna bvnna yvt choctawnation.com ona cha, ‘about’ atebli cha ‘language’ atebli. Hvchim anumpa nowvt aya chi apela chi ka holisso aiontalaia ya anumpa isht toksvli lawa hvsh ahocha chi.

Chahta okla im anumpa ikhvna bvnna kvt nan ikhvna yvt ittiba pisa aboha vbanvbli akosh vm ahni ahli. E moma ka hvpi onittula!

Yakoke! Chi pisa la chike! Anonti Chihowa hvt hvchi holitoblashke!